Our Dumplin Valley Sauce had been lost for 40 years.  After the death of our father in 1992, my brother and I were going through some of Dad's things, when we stumbled upon some old recipes.

They were in an old cigar box that was stashed in Dad's closet. 

They were called "Smoky Mountain Table Sauces".

    My Dad learned to make these sauces from his father and his father before him.  We are not sure just how old these recipes are, but, they go back over 100 years.  Back then in East Tennessee without the benefit of refrigeration, preserved meats needed a little "doctorin' up".

    Anyway, we started mixin' up a batch for our own use.  Of course, we gave some away to our friends and soon our "Lost Sauce" became very popular.  So much so, that we are proud to say that we have never met anyone who didn't like it.  Now it is all we can do to keep on makin' sauce.